New PC help
I’m looking to invest in a gaming pc / mac for playing the Sims. I’m unfamiliar with pc specks so don’t really know what to look for. I would use mods and CC plus expansion packs. I might use it to p...
Forum Discussion
@BlankHotel It's difficult to give you advice without a budget or any idea of what you want out of the computer. The options available at £500 are dramatically different from those available at £700, while over £1,100 or so (depending on current sales), you wouldn't necessarily get any benefit out of further upgrades, at least where Sims 4 is concerned.
And that's just for Windows PCs. Macs are simpler to summarize, and also more expensive for the same performance. If you already know you'd prefer a Mac, that's one thing, but if you're indifferent, a Windows PC would be the better option from a performance standpoint.
I can offer two different kinds of advice here. If you're not ready to buy yet, I can list the kind of hardware you'd want to look for. If you are ready to buy, as in now, I can look for the best options currently available. In either case, I do need to know at least an approximate budget as well as whether you want a Windows PC or a Mac and a laptop or desktop.
Thank you for your reply @puzzlezaddict
I’m not planning to buy right now, I want to figure out what I want and start saving to get it in the future. Ideally nothing over £2000 as that’s roughly what a Mac would be.
I want to go for a desktop but I’m unsure whether I want to go for a Mac or windows PC. I would also use it for Uni work but that’s about it.
@BlankHotel If you decide to get a Windows PC, £1,100 or a little less would get you a machine that's overkill for Sims 4 and could run almost any game currently out there on ultra graphics settings. £800-900 would get you a system that can run Sims 4 on ultra settings as well as any other similarly-demanding game. And there are also system integrators that would build you a custom PC in case you can't find the exact configuration you want. Add in a standard monitor for £100 or so, or a higher-end one for more like £200, and you're still well under budget.
For the Mac side, the highest-end default Mac Mini is £1,400, and you could buy a monitor separately and get exactly what you want there too.
https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-mac/mac-mini/apple-m2-pro-with-10-core-cpu-and-16-core-gpu-512gb
Further upgrades are expensive–this is Apple after all—but you don't need more than what's listed in that link. And in fact the mid-tier option is also good enough for ultra settings, although I'd absolutely spend the (somewhat unreasonable) £200 to get 16 GB memory instead of 8, which bumps the price to £1,050:
https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-mac/mac-mini/apple-m2-chip-with-8-core-cpu-and-10-core-gpu-512gb
In either case, you don't need more than 500 GB internal storage for Sims 4 and your other games. Even quality external drives are relatively cheap, and any of them can be formatted to work with Macs.
Thank you. I think I’m gonna go with a windows pc. What ones would you recommend? I saw this one but I’m not sure. I think I would prefer something that is a bit overkill for the sims.
- @BlankHotel this one is quite nice. would be able to play games like Cyberpunk or GTA as well. the i5 is a little outdated but still workable. the graphics card is from the current range which is good. if you get it and feels it's lacking then you can add more RAM sticks to the PC for cheap (it's easy - they just slot in).
Community Highlights
- EA_Cade12 months ago
Community Manager
